CTV is reporting that a leaked draft of Auditor General Sheila Fraser's report into the Harper government's G20 spending claims Harper misled Parliament. The spotlight is on Tony Clement and some $50-million lavished around his riding apparently with very little at all to do with the summit. Fraser is said to recommend that Clement's largesse be investigated.
The news story comes out just one day prior to the English-language leaders' debate. Here's hoping Ig-Lay are able to use it to effect.
Reminds one of the Zaccardelli/Goodale smear that springboarded Harper into power. There is, however, no suggestion that Fraser was involved in this leak. Her report was to have been tabled April 5th but was put on hold due to the election.
Are we surprised?
ReplyDeleteLack of ethics has always been an issue -
Receiving payouts from foreign lobbyists in brown paper bags...
Covering legal expenses for issues not related to parliamentary duties (sinclair stevens)
Taking political advice from upstanding capitalists (Peter Pocklington)
Practicing a tough on crime agenda - Raheem Jaffer
Full disclosure of lobbyists - Raheem Jaffer
Add in the protection of confidential documents and you have a Quebec minister wanna be (but got a biker chick instead), and the current head of the beat-down squad who thinks a security clearance is a given if the person is buds with the PM.
The list just writes itself
But the problem with lists is that the blind, deaf and unfortunately not dumb (in the context as written) do not link corruption as an issue with their CHOSEN ONE
Bemused Lurker
There are too many Harper scandals. Iggy and Libs must capitalize on them and set aside this obsession with positive campaigning. Politics is a blood game.
ReplyDeleteThis election campaign will be decided on the ability of Ignatieff to fix Harper with his entire record of abuses, gaffes and scandals from the past five years. He has to rekindle those memories in the voters' minds. They depict Harper as he truly is, not as he presents himself. There's more than enough fuel there for a six week campaign. What remains to be seen is whether Ignatieff has the drive, the ability and the stamina to see this through. I'm not convinced but I would be delighted to be proven wrong.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't really fair to Clement. How can he respond to a report that has not been, in fact, released? If he's being accused of something in the report, he deserves to know the full details of the accusation.
ReplyDeleteFraser should now try to get permission to release the entire report as soon as possible, before the election.
How this was leaked also ought to be investigated.
@erf...whay doesn't Clement speak to the unelected hack Mr.Sparrow, who seems to have seen a copy of the report already? How is that even legal?
ReplyDeleteAnd a somewhat related story: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/11/cv-election-weston-ag-fraser.html#
ReplyDelete